The Trump administration will report the withdrawal of around 4,000 soldiers from Afghanistan next week. The US channels NBC and CNN agree, citing government circles. It would be a drastic downsizing of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. Around 13,000 US soldiers are currently stationed there.
There is contradictory information about exactly when the deduction will be officially announced. According to CNN, citing a government official, the schedule is "constantly changing" but could be announced in the coming week. There is still no withdrawal order, a spokesman for the US Armed Forces in Afghanistan told AFP.
For US President Trump, an end to the now 18-year civil war in Afghanistan would be an important decision with a view to the presidential election next year. He had already announced to Fox News in August that he would reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan to 8,600.
US withdrawal was discussed in negotiations with the Taliban
About a week ago, the United States and the radical Islamic Taliban resumed peace negotiations after a three-month hiatus. However, they were interrupted again on Thursday after a bomb attack near the US military base Bagram with two deaths and dozens injured.
The talks focused on the conditions for a partial withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan. In return, the Taliban should renounce the al-Qaida terror network, fight the terrorist militia "Islamic State" (IS) and start direct negotiations with the government in Kabul.
The United States entered Afghanistan in 2001 to combat al-Qaida after the September 11 attacks.
